I am experimenting with eliminating white sugar and flour in 2011 to develop a closer relationship with my Higher Power, whom I choose to call "God," as well as to improve the pain level in my body. My goal is to replace my sugar/flour addiction with more frequent conscious contact with God so that I can better discern His will for me!

Well, someone smack me upside the head and call me "Sally." I posted these two discontinuous days of food because they represent a typical pendulum swing for me: scarfing down sugar and flour and then getting back on track. See how much of an improvement there is between April 16 and April 19? On the 19th, I met almost all of my macronutrient categories, whereas I am usually quite lacking in the fruit and veggie area, the latter because of the Coumadin greens issue as well as the fact that I just don't like all the preparation that goes along with eating veggies. I'm quite a good but very lazy cook, LOL. My preference would be to cook a large one-pot meal that has all the macronutrient/food pyramid categories and eat off that all week, but my roommate prefers otherwise.

I feel the need to check in with myself (and you; a Step Four of sorts), about the efficacy of my experiment. My relationship with my Higher Power, and my growth is Him, is so internal that I almost have no way to explain it to you let alone myself. I'll try to speak about it in terms of my spiritual growth since starting this eating plan and blog.

When I first wrote at the end of December last year, I was spiritually bored and ripe for an inner adventure. My attitude toward life and the curve balls it's thrown me had already begun to improve when I accepted Christ Jesus as my lord and savior, but it has definitely gotten better yet. I am rarely in a funk and actually look forward to waking up each day (this from someone who was suicidal and angry at God for most of her life).

I don't know if I've been seeking God's presence any more than I has been before; Al-Anon has trained me pretty well with Steps 3 and 11 to seek Him first thing in the morning and to pray to know His will all throughout the day. I think I've had fewer episodes of rebellious behavior as I come to know and trust Him and His plan for my life. I guess I just got too old and tired of fighting it every step of the way.

I indeed have been reaching out more on a spiritual level and am more aware of God using me in others' lives, even if I don't know it. I was asked, and accepted, to be a deacon at my church, which is teaching me to think of others instead of focusing on myself and all my medical needs and problems. I made a decision to tithe to my church this year, which is a show of faith and trust in God. And I had a lovely time giving a two-part spiritual gifts workshop to the youth group at my church. If I helped just one child by doing that, I'll be more than happy!

On a physical front, yes, I have had bouts of eating sugar and flour, but I've had longer bouts without them. I've not recorded my food and blogged every day, but this should be my 85th food record and blog post in 114 days (I started right before 20111), so I'm batting an average of 75%, and I'm very happy with that. I've also seen a direct, albeit anecdotal, correlation between my pain level and my consumption of white sugar and flour. This project is teaching me perseverance, accountability, consistency, and maturity.